Chess for the Ordinary Mortals

Chess Book for the Ordinary Mortals

Chapter 1: In General - Part 2

Game 4. Leicestershire County Championship, 1977.

Author v D Gould. Opening: Alekhine's Defence.

This is an opening which has one similarity with that of the previous game – and which I liked playing against for that reason …. White is able to push his opponent's piece around thereby gaining tempi (and space). This time it is a knight that is pushed about, not the queen.

1	e4	Nf6	Remember reader, this defence was developed in the hands (and brain) of one of the most brilliant chess players ever. He was well equipped to follow through with Black's strategy – to lure White's pawns up the board and then to counter-attack them. But, are you equipped to handle its down side (misplaced pieces and a cramped position)? Here, a very capable 'county regular' struggled.
2	e5	Nd5
3	c4	Nb6
4	d4		White could not want for more freedom!
	…..	d6
5	exd6	exd6
6	Bd3	Nc6
7	Ne2	Bg4
8	f3	Bh5
9	0-0	Bg6	It is a strange situation when you think about it! Black's K-knight has used three moves up and is on the 'wrong' side of the board: his white-squared bishop has also used up three moves to get to the 'wrong' side. Surely this cannot be theoretically correct?
10	Re1	Be7
11	a3	Qd7
12	Nbc3	0-0-0	Remembering the theme of this section's principle … Black has, at last, got most of his pieces onto squares where their fire-power is good. It seems to me a more artificial placing, however …. The strong queen/rook combination is on the 'wrong' file at the moment, blocked by the d6-pawn. The e7-bishop is blocked in one direction by the same pawn. And, one knight at least is, perhaps, not ideally placed. The difference in the methods of placement, and harking back to our machine guns analogy, is that White hiked his machine guns directly up the hill: Black hiked both of his around a couple of mountains first. Whatever the rights and wrongs of this opening for each side, the proof will now be in the middle-game pudding … how should White proceed to capitalise on any advantage he has gained?
13	Nd5!?		White's thinking behind this move is that it will provoke an exchange of pieces on d5 which, after the re-take with the c-pawn, will further block the already misplaced queen, d8-rook and e7-bishop. Also, importantly, it will partly open the file to the black king. These good principles will, hopefully, outweigh the bad one of doubling the pawns.
	…..	Nxd5
14	cxd5	Nb8
15	Bf4	Bxd3	Black assesses the threats and takes out one possible attacker.
16	Qxd3	Rde8	Black commences a laborious but good defence of his king's position – and with counter-chances!
17	Rec1	Bd8
18	Rc2	b6
19	Nc3	Kb7
20	Rac1	Re7
21	Nb5	Na6
22	Rc6		The weak backward pawn on c7 must be 'nailed down'.
	…..	Rhe8	Black, correctly, gives himself counter-attacking chances. He has set up a strong defence already and can do no more just yet.
23	Kf2?		White loses a tempo here. Kf1 was correct
	…..	Re2+
24	Kf1	Rxb2	An obvious move for Black but, there is a shock in store….
25	Bxd6!!	Ree2	(If Black had replied ..cxd6, he would have lost quickly to 26. Nxd6+ followed by 27. Qxa6)
26	Bg3	Qxd5
27	Nxc7		A stronger player would have calculated the following continuation. Here, White instinctively 'feels' the strength of this move!
	…..	Nxc7
28	Rxc7+	Bxc7
29	Rxc7+	Ka8
30	Qa6		At the time control, White risks that Black may possibly get a perpetual check and a draw in order to tighten the clamp of a double-threat mate
	…..	Rb1
31	Kxe2	Qa2+	The game was adjourned here with White having sealed 32. Ke3 but Black resigned without resumption. Possible play would have been, 32. ..Rb3+ 33. Kf4 and the king heads for h3 and safety.

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Principle 4. Castle early.

The reasons for delaying castling are many and varied. If the central cover for the king is reasonable and you are not sure which way your opponent is heading and if the back row has been cleared ready for an instant castling then delaying it can be excused. However, it is so easy to get caught up in the immediacy of play that the time taken to castle (even where it is just a single tempo) just doesn't seem to arrive. The other benefit of castling, of course, is the doubled rooks on the back rank. But, to the sluggards – " Oh, that exposed and fragile-looking king!"

Game 5. Leicestershire League game, 1976.

I Downie v Author.

A very rare use of the French Defence by the author, White playing the Exchange Variation.

1	e4	e6
2	d4	d5
3	exd5	exd5
4	Nf3	Nf6
5	Nc3	Be7
6	Bf4	0-0	Black loses no time in tucking his king away but this neglect of the vulnerable c7 square prompts a quick response from White.
7	Nb5		Black can defend the square (and thus the Q-side rook) with Na6, perhaps the favoured method, but this puts the knight on a bad square. Bd6 is just about playable. Black chooses neither.
	…..	Re8!?	The threat here to White, incredibly, is Mate … if Nxc7, then Bb4+. But, what if White doesn't, as he shouldn't, fall for the sucker punch?
8	Be2	Bb4+
9	Nc3		White gives up his threat on c7. The reader may wonder, why not 9.c3 …. The Black bishop would retreat, still defending c7, and White's knight would be deprived of its best retreat square. Now, the opening has swung in Black's favour because of White's neglect to castle and the temptation of a probe that was too premature. Black's own knight now steps up into the action. The intention is to create a weakness by doubling the c-pawns
	…..	Ne4
10	0-0???		Now, fatally, too late
	…..	Bxc3
11	bxc3	Nxc3	Winning a piece and White resigned

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Game 6. Leicestershire County Championship, 1972/3.

Author v S I Ashley. Opening: Sicilian Defence

1	e4	c5
2	f4	e6
3	Nf3	d6	The Sicilian is noted for being a counter-attacking defence and this move is, perhaps, too timid. d5 seems better
4	Be2	h6	This move achieves nothing at this stage of the game
5	0-0	Nc6
6	a3	a6	Once again Black wastes a chance to develop his K-side.
7	c3	b5	White's move should signal an intention to play d4; if Black's reply was to consolidate a pawn move on to c4 then this seems a poor response given his lack of K-side development.
8	d4	Qc7
9	Be3	Bb7
10	Nbd2	Nf6	Both players have some grip on the centre. Both have freed all their pieces. The difference is that Black is not ready for action yet because he has not castled! White begins his attack.
11	dxc5	dxc5
12	b4	c4
13	a4	Na7
14	Bxa7	Rxa7
15	axb5	Qb6+
16	Nd4	axb5
17	Rxa7	Qxa7
18	Kh1	Nxe4
19	Nxe4	Bxe4
20	Bf3	Bxf3
21	Qxf3
	…..	Qa6
22	f5		If White opens the f-file the threats will be overwhelming
	…..	e5
23	Re1	Bd6	Has Black solved his problems?
24	f6!	g6
25	Qh3		text-indent:-36.0pt">White stops Black from castling and his queen sits on a deadly diagonal
	…..	Bc7	Black is stuck for a good move
26	Nc6!		The Black queen cannot take because of Qc8+
	…..	Kf8	The king tries to run for cover
27	Qd7		A powerful and decisive move
	…..	Kg8
28	Qe8+	Kh7
29	Qxf7 mate

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Game 7. Leicestershire County Championship, 1974.

J A Oliver v Author. Opening: English Opening.

1	c4	Nf6
2	d3	g6	It looks as though White is leaving the long, black-squared diagonal weak so, Black intends to place his bishop on this. This is the (King's) Indian Defence system.
3	a3		It is hard to see a useful purpose in this move so; it is violating principle 5 (wasting a move).
	…..	Bg7
4	Nf3	c6
5	h3		Again principle 5 is abandoned
	…..	0-0
6	Nc3		Although White has developed his knights and has a grip on the centre, it is Black who is ready to start the battle!
	…..	d5
7	cxd5	Nxd5
8	Bd2	Nd7
9	e3	b6
10	Qc2	Bb7
11	b4?		After playing several good developing moves White changes his plan. Be2 and 0-0 were called for. Now he has aided Black by presenting a target for attack.
	…..	Rc8
12	Be2		(too late!)
	…..	c5
13	bxc5		This allows Black a winning combination.
	…..	Bxc3!
14	Bxc3	Rxc5
15	d4		White is lost but 0-0 would have been better.
	…..	Rxc3
16	Qd2	Qc7
17	e4		Black has a little resource which saves the knight from a retreat.
	…..	Rc2
18	Qh6		Normally it would be correct for White to seek counter-chances – perhaps he had visions of 19. Ng5 and if … Nf6, 20. e5 but all this is too late.
	……	Qc3+
19	Kd1	Qxa1+
20	Kxc2	Rc8+
21	Kb3	Rc3+	and White resigned.

Black did nothing clever in this game, it was simply that White ignored those fundamental principles!

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Game 8. Leicestershire League game, 1972.

Dr A Ansell v Author. Opening: English Opening.

In this English Opening, White, normally a very strong player, played very quickly and carelessly – as well as throwing overboard several principles.

1	c4	Nf6
2	nf3	g6	Although I consider the English one of the strongest theoretical openings for white* the (slight) weakness which Black will attempt to exploit is that the move c4 gives away some control of the black squares. *[Ruy Lopez – initiator of another very strong opening – once said that the English move 1. c4 was so bad that no player of any skill would use it. Not only is it now widely used but, some of those players 'of any skill' who have used it often have been former world champions Botvinnik and Smyslov]
3	b4		An over-ambitious plan which does little for W's development
	…..	Bg7
4	Bb2	0-0
5	d3	c6	Preparing for …d5 and a strong centre
6	g3	a5!	Be flexible! Black has as strong a grip on the centre as White so, he hits at White's weakness before that player can settle
7	b5		If White had captured on a5, Black could have delayed the re-capture and proceeded with d5. The text move does make Black's Q-knight less easy to develop but …. White is getting sucked into early complications with his king still sitting uneasily on his throne in the middle of the board.
	…..	Qb6	Under the guise of attacking the weak b-pawn, Black has his eye on the weakest square on the board, f2!
8	a4	Ng4	Black springs his trap although this can be easily refuted by d4 when Black is then, however, well-placed to hit at White's centre. In the event White blunders horribly and uncharacteristically …. Is this a violation of principle 1 or simply playing too quickly?
9	Bxg7??	Qxf2+
10	Kd2	Qe3+
11	Kc2	Kxg7	Black has set up the deadly ..Nf7 first, now he calmly recovers his lost material.
12	Qe1		Here the reader may wonder how Black should best consolidate his advantage, a pawn up and the White king in no-man's land? The method is to quickly open up lines to the white king.
	…..	d5
13	Nbd2	dxc4
14	Nxc4	Qc5
15	Qc3+	f6
16	d4?		This move, although perhaps tempting, opens up a diagonal for Black's bishop to attack.
	…..	Qxc4+!	Although this only leads to an equal swap off of material, to simplify when material up is usually good policy.
17	Qxc4	Ne3+
18	Kc3	Nxc4
19	Kxc4	Be6+
20	Kc3	cxb5
21	axb5	Nd7
22	e4	Rfc8+
23	Kb2	a4
24	Bd3	a3+	And White resigned. (If 25. Rxa3, Rxa3 with to follow Rc3+ winning a piece. If 25. Kb1, Rc3 and Raa4 threaten "nasties".

Now for the sort of game which, perhaps, illustrates why some players may delay castling ….fear of an all-out attack on the committed position of the king.

Game 9. Leicestershire League game, 1975.

M Cowley v Author. Opening: Pirc Defence

1	e4	d6
2	d4	Nf6
3	Nc3	g6
4	f4		These pawns mean business!
	…..	Bg7
5	e5!?		Theoretically premature yet a strong, tactical player – as White is – can cause plenty of problems given an open board.
	…..	dxe5
6	fxe5	Nd5
7	Bc4	Be6!?	This is a two-edged defensive move. Black hopes that the risks involved will be compensated for by causing embarrassment for White later on. Also, if the e-pawn was used to defend the knight, it could not later support the freeing ..f6 move
8	Qf3	c6
9	Nge2	0-0
10	Ne4	Nd7	With development uppermost in his mind (facing the gathering momentum of White's attack) Black misses the counter-punch, ..Nb4.
11	Ng5	N(7)b6
12	Bb3	Nc7
13	h4		With Black's knights now across on the 'wrong' side of the board and with most of White's artillery aiming at the opposing king's position, all seems set for the assault to get under way.
	…..	Bxb3
14	Qxb3	h6
15	Qh3		White can take some chances and even lose some material in such a strong position.
	…..	Qd7	As with the exchange of bishops, Black seeks to swap off the main attacking pieces and so draw the teeth of White's attack. With the White king still in the centre, however, ..f5 was another possibility. That move would have the added attraction of leaving a bolt-hole for the king on f7.
16	g4	f6
17	h5	fxg5	Black has calculated that he can still hold the attack if he takes the material offered.
18	Bxg5		Premature or the final breakthrough?
	…..	gxh5!
19	Bxh6		White counts on Black's two knights and the Q-rook being out of play and the non-existent shield in front of the king. Very precise play is now called for by Black.
	…..	Bxh6
20	Qxh6	Qe6
21	g5	Rf5
22	Qxh6		22.Nf4 looks better, with the attack still on and an open file after ..Rxf4, 23. gxh6. White is still perhaps a vital move behind, though, …0-0-0.
	…..	Qxh6	Black breathes a sigh of relief as the queens go. And, he should have an easily won ending…. ?

The last half of this game illustrates the power of passed pawns, however, and although Black undoubtedly played some ill-judged defensive moves, the reader should note the still-aggressive play with which White saves his game.

23	gxh6	Kh7
24	0-0-0	Rg8
25	Rh2	Ne6
26	b3	Nd5
27	c4	Nf4
28	d5!!	Nxe2+	The logical result of Black's last move and his strategy of swapping off material but, the chancier ..Rxe5 might have been stronger looking ahead.
29	Rxe2	cxd5
30	cxd5	Rc8+
31	Kb1	Rd8	With the follow-up of ..Nf4 threatened
32	d6!!	exd6
33	exd6		A tricky moment for Black. He can stop the d-pawn by moving the knight but does not want the e2-rook to pick up his b-pawn. He chooses to keep the blocking knight in place.
	…..	Rf6
34	d7	Kxh6??	A blunder which White snatches at. ..Rxh6 or a knight move is possible but Black would still need to be careful
35	Rd6	Kg7
36	Rdxe6	Rxe6
37	Rxe6	Rxd7	Draw agreed

Having looked at several games earlier in this section where dire threats were allowed because of a reluctance to castle, let us now look at two games where one player is stopped from performing this recommended action …even, in the first game, by offering a free rook.

Game 10. This is one of the earliest games used. It is taken from when the author was 'on the way up' and was one of his victories on the way to winning the Leicestershire County Minor Section in 1970. It has a lot to thank, though, for a game by a 15-year-old called Saverymuttu published in Chess magazine! [Not for anyone of a weak disposition].

Author v G Hutchinson Opening: Giuoco Piano

1	e4	e5
2	Nf3	Nc6
3	Bc4	Bc5
4	c3	Nf6
5	d4	exd4
6	cxd4	Bb4+
7	Nc3	Nxe4
8	0-0	Nxc3
9	bxc3	Bxc3	So far this is following known lines and Black is doing rather well for all his tardy development.
10	Ba3!		The author tries out the Saverymuttu line. Will Black find the answers?
	…..	d5
11	Rc1	Bxd4
12	Bb5	Bb6	(..Bf6 is better)
13	Rxc6!	bxc6
14	Bxc6+	Bd7
15	Re1+	Qe7
16	Rxe7+	Kd8
17	Rxd7+	Kc8
18	Bxa8	Kxd7	(Black is too stunned to resign!)
19	Qxd5+	Kc8
20	Ne5	c6
21	Qxc6+	Bc7
22	Bb7+		And Black resigns.

In fairness to Black (in view of the above butchery) … Greg Hutchinson was quite a strong club player who played many games for Leicestershire County Seconds and the Saverymuttu game, featured in Chess, did introduce the sort of innovative move which can catch anyone unawares. We usually had a very equal tussle.

Another game to illustrate the same point of stopping your opponent from castling …..

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Game 11. Leicestershire League game, 1977.

P A Thomas v Author. Opening: King's Gambit Accepted.

1	e4	e5
2	f4	exf4
3	Nf3	Be7	A two-edged move designed to attack the White king and make it hard for a normal castling procedure.
4	Bc4	Bh4+
5	Kf1		Mission accomplished!
	…..	d6
6	d4	Be6	Black tries to provoke an exchange which will lead to the f-file becoming open in front of the White king.
7	Bd3		This gives back the tempo that White gained with his opening gambit. Although, perhaps, correct not to play Bxe6, White had several other alternatives which would have improved his development
	…..	Nd7
8	Bxf4	h6
9	h3		Although this move does not fall into the "phobia" classification mentioned in the notes prefacing the next section, since there are two possible reasons for making it (1. To allow a nice 'bunker' for the bishop on f4 to fall back to, or possibly, 2. Looking ahead to his next move ….?), Nbd2 looks a more natural move to me.
	…..	Nb6	Of course, a third possibility, White may have been simply setting out to trap the bishop on e6 by playing 10. d5.
10	nxh4?		Although the bishop on h4 was a minor irritation, this exchange leads to a much better position for Black and one of White's staunchest defenders has gone!
	…..	Qxh4
11	Qf3	0-0-0
12	Nd2		If it wasn't for the terrible plight of his king, White would now be holding a good position.
	…..	Rf8
13	Qg3		White does not like his queen being on the same file as the opposing rook and to seek an exchange which will 'draw the sharpest of Black's teeth' may not be such a bad idea. However, for White (having first move) to be worrying about the Black attack after only thirteen moves says little for his choice of moves so far
	…..	Qxg3
14	Bxg3	Ne7
15	Nf3	f5
16	exf5		White really has no good alternative
	…..	Nxf5
17	Bf2	Nd5	Black could also seek to double his rooks on the f-file here.
18	Re1	Kd7
19	Ke2		White's king is off! He doesn't like the gathering war clouds.
	…..	nf4+
20	Kd2	g5	If Black had played the tempting Nxg2 then the possibility of White getting a counter-attack started with Rg1 was there - although the position then would have complications. With the text move, Black's threats are still maintained … with extra backing!
21	g4?		White tries to remove the threat and push away one of the attacking knights in one move but, his position is fatally weakened…
	…..	nxd3
22	Kxd3		22. gxf5 is no better after ..Rxf5
	…..	Ne7
23	Re3	Nd5
24	Rhe1	Nxe3
25	Rxe3	Bd5
26	Ke2	Bxf3	Black does not need to be clever here, he simply exchanges down to a rook v bishop ending where the power of the rook is easily demonstrated in the following moves.
27	Rxf3	Rxf3
28	Kxf3	d5	This move blocks the e4 route for the White king into Black's territory but, more importantly, it shuts in the bishop, limiting it's power
29	b3	b5
30	a3	Re8	This is not a particularly forcing move, in fact it is almost a waiting move. True, it prevents the White king from walking across to the Q-side but Black does not fear that – he has the position well 'stoppered'.
31	Bg3		As Black had hoped, an inaccuracy by White helps him to bring the game to a rapid conclusion.
	…..	Re6
32	c3		White makes one target safe but there is a second!
	…..	Ra6
33	a4	bxa4
34	bxa4	Rxa4	and White resigned

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Principle 5. Wasting moves and time.

Although a previous game, used to illustrate the dangers of delaying castling, also illustrated this section, the two factors sometimes go together.

A move sometimes wasting a tempo in the opening is the over-use of the preventative h3 (or h6 with black) and a3 (with its black converse) before it becomes truly necessary. The reason often lies in a what is almost a phobia by some players about not having their knights pinned against king or queen. Often, a better remedy is to interpose one's bishop if a knight is pinned – which may be a developing move anyway.

If ever a game shows how to waste moves it is the next one from the early days in my chess career but, many weaker players can be guilty of this type of aimless manoeuvring. Although it is an early game, I blush to play through the moves, even though my opponent was as careless with tempi as I was!

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